Alongside those who are sinful.

Chapter 8

Dietrich chuckled, understanding why such a reaction was had. He had wondered if his plan was working and this was the first confirmation that it was.

"Kasma. Shhh!" Said Dietrich. The feline looked back to him hesitantly. Dietrich used a hand to rub under his goggles, wedging the leather of his gloves to dry a small accumulation of moisture at the bottoms.

"Be quiet. I have friends and food somewhere." Said Dietrich, in a low tone. He watched as Kasma shook his small, furred head incredulously.

"Hudson! Katya! Where the hell did you all go?" Barked Dietrich. He heard a rustling sound to his right and he looked over there, Kasma following the sounds too. It was an amalgamation of brush and grass, for lack of better terminology, swaying in a period of time lacking a breeze.

And then, the grass stood up to its full height revealing none other than Lieutenant Hiroshi wearing it like a cape.

The man wore a smirk like none other, and he had his sub machinegun adorned with the same foliage. Something fell out of a tree next to him and Dietrich looked to see that it was Katya, who had expertly landed on her feet. And, finally, Hudson stood up from behind a few rocks.

"Nice pet you got there, Kraut. Whatcha name him?" Asked Hudson, nonchalantly. Dietrich merely looked at him with no emotion.

"His name is Kasma, I think. He has been abused by the bandit leader." Said Dietrich. Katya knelt down next to Dietrich and began to study Kasma.

"Indeed." She said. "I am certain in more ways than just physical?" Asked Katya. Dietrich nodded and watched Katya pull a piece of meat from her food sack. It was offered to Kasma who timidly accepted it and ate it in little bites as if he was nervous about eating too much.

"You are a peculiar soldier, Fischer. You save this one to use him as a source of information for an ulterior goal most heinous instead of saving him out of the good of your heart." Noted Hiroshi. Dietrich looked up at the officer, merely meeting his gaze.

"My only goal in this world is survival. But I am merely a human, and I hate rapists." Said Dietrich. He saw Hiroshi nod as if he understood a fact he had not recently been aware of.

"Then you must be made aware that I was at Nanking." Said the officer. Dietrich shuddered internally at the stories he had been told about the absolute brutality that had taken place in the city. Nothing more needed to be said from Hiroshi, and the Japanese man knew it.

"I do not get to pick and choose my allies, Hiroshi. If survival means I have to team up with communists and brutalists, then so be it." Said Dietrich.

There was no true accusatory tone in either of their speech. Just a pure acknowledgment of the situation at hand. Dietrich could respect Hiroshi's willingness to dispel such information about himself right after finding out Dietrich's inner feelings.

"But I must ask you this, Hiroshi: Why are we, as in specifically us four, here? Why us? Why were we brought here?" Asked Dietrich. Hiroshi raised a brow.

"Do you believe that it was intentional?" Asked the officer. Dietrich shrugged, grabbing his K98 and fiddling with the safety.

"Perhaps. There has to be a reason we are here. Katya was blown up by an artillery shell. I was struck by lightning. I am more than confident that you and Hudson both "died" in some form or fashion before coming here." Said Dietrich. Hiroshi hummed.

"This is true, German. I was gunned down by one of their Sherman tanks. But I do not believe that each of our demises is why we are here." Said Hiroshi.

As the Japanese soldier spoke, Dietrich began to mull over Hiroshi's words and musings.

"Perhaps it is punishment? I know I have done some less than gracious acts in the war. I have executed prisoners of war. I hunted man as if he was another animal." Said Dietrich. He then pointed lazily to Hiroshi with a knife hand.